A Pirate & His Princess
by FreyReh
Summary: One-Shots ranging from G to M containing Captain Swan! I have so many ideas I've decided that instead of 50 stories posted on my profile of Captain Swan I'd keep them all together! T rating for now, will go up to M eventually.
1. Drunken Shenanigans

Title: Drunken Shenanigans

Summary: Hook is given the task of dealing with a very drunk princess.  
Rated: T (mild lang, mild sexual sit)  
Genre(s): Humor, Romance, Drama  
Pairing: Captain Swan

Dis: I don't own OUaT

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_"Bloody hell."_

His eyes fell upon the woman sitting somewhat unsteadily on top of a picnic table, bottle of something in her hand, looking disgruntled. Her blonde hair seemed even wilder with the light breeze and added curl. She wore her signature attire, the tight pants and boots that came almost to her knee and the red leather jacket he liked so much. She saw him approach and paused in the motion of bringing alcohol to her lips. He had just been on his way to order one of those cheeseburgers he liked so much from _Granny's _when Leroy had stopped him outside the door, begging him to do something about the drunken Savior a block away who had taken her drunken self from the Rabbit Hole to the town square.

She saw him now and offered him a coy smile that made him swallow thickly. She looked ever much the minx he had dubbed her to be. She was a blasted siren, luring him in with her seductive smile and he was ever the gullible sailor: caught in her trap. Taking a deep breath his heavy boots traveled over the soft grass, his long coat billowing behind him. He stopped to watch her as she tipped her head back and took another drink of whatever delight was hidden within the brown bag wrapped around it, his eyes traveling to her working throat for the briefest of moments, before falling on her legs which were swaying back and forth over the table's edge.

"Emma, love, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Drinking!" she answered brightly, tilting her head back to stare up at the stars, her breath visible in the cooler air and puffing out above her. "It's a lovely night for it!"

"Aye," he said. "Perhaps you and I could find a more suitable place to continue your nightly festivities."

"Are you hitting on me?" she asked bluntly before tapping her nose repeatedly with her index finger, canting her head to the side to stare at him. "I can smell your piratey ways from over here… The nose knows… You know?"

"Right. C'mon," he said, offering her his hand, the rings on his fingers gleaming as much as his hook from the light of the moon as well as the pole across the street. "Let's get you home."

"What if I don't want to go home?" she asked childishly, kicking out a foot at his offered hand and almost falling off the table in the process, making him roll his blue eyes heavenward as if praying for patience. "I like it here!"

"People are staring, Darling," he said, offering his hand again. "We both know how much you hate it when they gossip about you. Imagine the stories they'll tell tomorrow of the drunken princess making a spectacle of herself in the park late at night."

"I don't care," she said with a shrug. "Let them talk! They already talk about how I'm a princess and, and… Stuff…"

"A bloody princess getting pissed drunk is what you are," said Hook. "C'mon, Lass, let's get you tucked into bed."

"You gunna join me in bed, Hook?" she asked.

Her words had him tensing, a stabbing jolt of arousal hitting him deep in his belly and he took a calming breath before meeting her playful green eyes with his serious blue. _Gods_ she was beautiful, and any other time he'd be taking her on that offer, but now?

"I'm a man of honor, Swan," he said seriously. "When I take you to bed I want you to remember everything I do to you. I want you willing and coherent and not stumbling about."

"Ah, yes," she said, cupping her face with her hand, biting her lower lip before speaking. "Those _other_ pleasurable activities you like to do with a woman on her back."

"Aye, now-" She waved her hand at him and he jumped, good hand immediately going to his rear as a stinging pain blossomed over his right butt cheek. "Oy! Did you just-"

"You've always been an ass," she said with a grin, eyes traveling over his bottom. "And what an _ass_ you have, Captain."

She had used magic to slap him on the-bloody hell! This woman was putting him through the wringer tonight! The minx! Oh, when she was good and sober he was never, EVER letting her live this down. He would remind her till the day he died of the time she slapped his arse using her magic while completely _schnockered_. He wanted nothing more but to grab her, lay her out on the grass, and have his way with her but now was NOT the time.

"Emma-"

"Shhhh!" she said, waving her hand to silence him and he snapped his mouth shut in slight surprise. He couldn't remember the last time someone has the audacity to shush him. Once again, his Emma was throwing many surprises at him. "Sometimes you open your mouth and I'm stuck between the decision to punch it or kiss it."

"I'd prefer the later," he said.

"Oh, so would I," she purred, pulling her hand through her hair before on the table to place the bottoms of her feet on the bench seat. Taking it slowly he walked closer and mirrored her position, turning his head to stare at her and he waited until she finally looked up at him, looking a sight while cradling her bottle in her lap. Her large eyes held many emotions, the forefront being sadness. "Mary-Margaret is pregnant."

"That's lovely news," he said, pulling a bunch of her curls behind her shoulder, fingers lingering in the soft tresses.

"I'm a horrible, _horrible_ person," she said, frowning deeply, eyes swimming with tears. "I should be happy for them but all I can think about is that as soon as that baby comes I'll be tossed aside and… And I don't think I can go through that again."

"They love you, Emma," he said, hand rubbing the space between her shoulder blades. "You know that. They won't forget about you. Just the other day Dave was insisting on spending more quality time with you and teaching you everything he wanted his daughter to know. Like how to properly wield a sword because Lass, you need some work."

"Hey! I've done just fine, thank you very much!"

"Tell that to my face," he muttered and at her confused look he brushed her off with a wave of his hand. "I'll speak of it another time. Emma, know this, they love you and will not abandon you again. Yes, they have another on the way but do not think for a moment that they will turn their backs on you. I saw this fear on your face in the Echo caves and I hated it as much as I do now…" He put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. "They love you. Believe in that love. Would you ever abandon Henry if you were expecting another child?"

"Of course not!"

"Then trust that they won't either."

"Dammit," she muttered, dropping her head down to her chest. "Why do you always say the right things?"

"Oh I don't know? It's a talent I suppose."

"It's annoying," she muttered, rubbing at her eyes with one hand and setting the bottle down with the other. "I'm tired… But I don't wanna go home. They're there and happy and I know what you said. I heard what you said but…" She looked at him and he felt a pang in his heart. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Emma," he said breathlessly, hesitation evident in his posture.

"Please?" she asked, biting her lower lip, looking more vulnerable than he'd ever seen her before.

"All right," he said, relenting. Like he could ever say no to her.

"Great! Stand up!" He did so, expecting her to follow. He just about went face first to the ground when her weight suddenly smashed into his back. She giggled, legs wrapping around his middle and arms winding around his neck. "Carry me!"

"You just about sent us both to the ground," he complained, securing his arms around the legs curled around him, mindful of his hook, and hunching forward slightly. "Who knew you acted like an impish pixie while searching for the bottom of a bottle?"

"Mph…" She muttered against his neck, biting it playfully, almost sending him to his knees for the second time in less than a minute. "Don't be mean. I'm tired and you're supposed to be a gentleman! Don't drop me!"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

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Emma groaned while blinking her eyes open then immediately slammed them shut. She buried her face in a pillow that smelled of leather and musk with a hint of salt and she frowned deeply because it was NOT her pillow she was snuggling into. Carefully she popped open an eye and saw faded white paint, a simple table with a set of chairs that have seen better days, and a shelf filled with old books and stacks of maps.

She recognized Hook's cabin, having slept in it with Henry curled against her side on the way back to Storybrooke. It was a bed meant for one person and Emma had to wonder just where the pirate Captain had spent the night. Carefully she maneuvered out of bed, legs wobbling for only a moment as her bare feet hit the floor. She searched and found her boots and jacket and slipped them on. Taking a peek out of the windows framed by intricate carvings of mermaids she saw it was a bright and sunny day and she scowled as memories of the night before assaulted her brain.

From the panic she felt after David and Mary-Margaret told her about expecting, to making her excuses and hitting up the Rabbit Hole, and finally ending up taking her bottle with her into town. Finally, there was Hook…She had practically thrown herself at him and though a part of her was grateful for him being a gentleman another part of her felt rejected. It was stupid, she remembered what he said about wanting her to REMEMBER what happened their first time in bed together and-OH GOD! She had used magic to slap him on the ass!

"Never again," she vowed to herself. Whiskey and depression were a bad combination. She was lucky she ended up here in the end and not sprawled out in a gutter or something. Fishing in her coat pocket she found a spare hair tie and bundled her hair up atop her head while heading to the main deck. The sea air did wonders, making her feel refreshed: though she would kill for a toothbrush.

"Mornin' Sunshine," said Hook from behind her, mischief coating his words, making her tense before slowly turning to face him. She wouldn't back down. She wasn't about to act like a coward in front of the man that despised cowards most: even though everything in her being was demanding she jump ship. "Sleep well?"

"I did," she said, watching him as he eased from his spot at the helm down to where she was and she raised a brow at him when he offered her a large styrofoam cup of coffee that was clearly from Granny's. "You got me coffee?"

"Aye," he said, digging into his pocket and pulling out a bottle of painkillers. "Ruby said to give you this as well."

"Ruby is a saint," said Emma, snagging the bottle. She felt a headache forming and wanted to squash it down. She popped three pills, swallowing them down with the coffee that was still hot enough for her standards. "Thanks."

"Please tell me you remember everything that happened last night," he said with a hopeful grin, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"What?" she asked, playing dumb. "I don't even remember how I _got_ here."

"Liar," he said, a challenge in his eyes. "You remember... I see it in your eyes…" He leaned in, invading her space. "You remember all the naughty little bits, don't you Swan?"

She blushed, looking down at her coffee. The curve of his hook pressed under her chin, making her look up, unable to hide from his penetrating gaze. Her eyes widened as he leaned down, his warm lips pressing against hers. She gasped and he took advantage, his devilish tongue dancing seductively against hers. He pulled back, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose and finally to her forehead.

"Though I would love to ravish you this lovely morning, I ran into your parents. They are quite worried, especially since half the town recounted their version of the drunk princess being carried to the villainous pirate's private quarters in the wee hours of the night."

"You're kidding me," she muttered, rolling her eyes heavenward.

"'fraid not," he said, grimacing as he rubbed his jaw. "Your father is quite protective of you."

"He didn't hit you again, did he?" she asked, thinking nothing of it as she reached up to press her palm against his jaw, the stubble sharp against her soft hand. When she did realize what she had done she'd been ready to pull her hand away but his hand quickly went to cover hers to trap it before he twisted his head to press a kiss into her palm.

"He tried," said Hook. "I then quickly explained what had happened and how I left you in my bed ALONE…"

"I better go find them before they assemble a small army and storm your ship," she said, finally taking her hand back.

He nodded, hand coming to the curve of his hook, twisting it like he usually did while deep in thought or incredibly nervous. This was her chance to leave, to quickly leave and be done with her actions the night before but something had her hesitating. It was his turn to look troubled and he had been there for her last night. He could have walked away or even dumped her off to her shared apartment. He had been there for her so it was her turn to be there for him.

"What is it?" she asked, shifting from one foot to the other. "I can tell you're holding something back."

"Ever the observant one you are," he said with a sad smile, looking up at her. His eyes reminded her of the violent sea storm on Neverland, the ripples of emotion making the air crackle around them. He opened his mouth a few times, only to close it again and when she felt her patience start to wear thin he finally voiced his thoughts. "We've been back a while now and I know you asked that I keep my inner desires to myself until normal routine was established. What I'm asking is… Would it be too forward of me to ask you to return later on tonight for dinner?"

"I…" She closed her mouth with an audible click, at a loss as to what to say. He was asking her over for dinner? Not long ago she'd been thinking about jumping his bones and here the ever deceitful pirate was asking her out on a date. Then, everything clicked, like when she kissed Henry to break the curse. Everything that hadn't been making sense before suddenly cleared, like clouds rolling out of the way of the sun. She smiled, reaching out to grasp a lapel of his jacket, fingering the leather before looking up at him. "Okay."

Relief washed over him and she smiled brightly, leaning up to press a quick kiss to the side of his mouth before rushing off the boat. She was half way down the dock when he shouted her name and she stopped, looking up and shading her eyes against the brilliant sun to see him standing on the edge of his boat, hand on a line to keep his balance. He looked more like the young and dashing Royal Guard Lieutenant than the fearsome Captain Hook.

"What?" she asked.

"Right at sunset?"

"I really need to get you a watch. What time is sunset? Six?"

"Aye, I believe so, and I do have a watch," he said with a smirk. "I would just rather you come at sunset, or right before if you prefer to watch it with me."

Could he get any more cheesy-romantic-comedy?

"Okay, I'll be here at sunset," she said. "Just… Don't do anything too crazy, all right?"

"As you wish," he said with a bow before hopping back onto the sturdy deck of his ship and a smile tugged at her lips at the use of that all-too-familiar line.

Romantic comedy indeed… Though a part of her enjoyed it.

**END**


	2. Demons of the Past

Note: So I've decided to post all these little CS ideas into one spot. For now the rating will stay at T but feel free to follow the story because I'll more than likely turn it to M later on because I have a few smut ideas as well and wouldn't want you all to miss you due to the rating change!I posted this one on Tumblr but it never made it here! Enjoy!...

Title: Demons of the Past

Summary: Emma + Hook at the campfire after he awakens from a dream.  
Rated: PG  
Spoilers: 3x05  
Dis: I don't own OUAT

It takes everything in her not to wake him up. It wasn't just the deadly hook he had attached to his arm, but the vulnerability she heard in his voice as he called out a name. Just one name. Liam. She wanted to know who it was. Father? Brother? Friend? The way he said it in his sleep was filled with such pain and sorrow she knew, just knew, it was someone that was long gone. So she stayed where she was, back to him, chancing a glance over her shoulder when his thrashing grew more violent: until he was suddenly sitting up. She waited calmly for him to sit by her and when he did she chanced a look at him.

He had his rum, and his hand shook as he brought the drink up to his lips and drank deeply. He seemed older, lines and shadows surrounding his eyes and making him look as menacing as the day he told her he was done with her. She didn't say anything at first, just kept him company, because there were many times she wished someone had been there for her when her nightmares attacked her in the night.

Finally he settled, leaning heavily against the log, leather covered arm barely brushing against hers: making her shiver. He caught onto that, turning his head to look at her. His eyes traveled down her arms and he frowned, deepening the lines on his face.

"Cold, love?"

"I'm fine," she said. "I have my other shirt if I get too cold."

"Right." He shrugged out of his jacket before handing it to her. "No arguments. A gentleman never lets a lady remain cold for long."

"You know I won't need this when the sun comes up," she said, pulling her arms through the sleeves already warm from his body heat. In all honesty she had been getting cold but had been wary of getting close to Snow and David: because when she was within a foot of them they always wanted to talk and she wasn't in the mood to bond. Not now anyway, when her worry for Henry remained unsettled in her gut.

"Aye. But you need it now."

She wrapped the coat around herself and sighed, his familiar scent relaxing her as much as the lingering warmth in the jacket. They sat in silence for a while, watching the flames before she turned her head once more to look at him. Licking her lips she gathered the courage to ask the one question that she'd been wanting to since he sat down.

"Who's Liam?"

In the span of ten seconds she saw many emotions cross his face: guilt, fear, regret, and sorrow. Slowly he looked at her, blue eyes clouded by the walls he was quickly putting up. She hated how much like her he was, always guarding against anyone and anything that tried to get in. Finally he sighed, fingers playing with his hook, twisting it back and forth as he stared down the flames as if they were his own demons.

"He was my brother."

"Was?"

"He's long gone, lass."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said softly. "It's in the past."

"You miss him," she said.

"I do," he said, looking away from the flames and to his hook.

"What happened?"

"_That_ is a story for another time," he said, slamming the door on her and who was she to judge? Just now she was thinking about how she hadn't wanted to talk to Snow or David about how she felt. She placed a hand over his, thumb brushing over his knuckles and he looked down to watch. He finally sighed, leaning down to press a kiss to her leather covered shoulder before nuzzling the area, making her breath hitch slightly.

"Thought it was a _one-time thing_, Love?"

"I can comfort a friend without it being anything more," she argued.

"Aye." He slowly looked up, his warm breath fanning across her face. His blue eyes searched hers; even though he kept his walls up he was seeing if hers were down at all. "That you can."

Before she could protest, before she could think about pushing him away, he kissed her once more. He tasted of the rum he just drank and something else. Something spicy and dangerous and she was quickly growing addicted to his flavor. She felt his hand cupping her face before trailing into her hair and she broke the kiss but once again was reluctant to leave. Like before she kept her forehead pressed to his, eyes closed she breathed him in as he continued to play with her hair. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked up, pulling back slightly.

"Hook…"

"He died because of me," he said and she closed her mouth, listening as he spoke. "My brother, Liam. He died and it was my fault." She opened her mouth to protest but he brought his fingertips up against her lips, smiling painfully. "Sorry, Swan, not really in the mood for a counterargument. If it wasn't for me, he'd be alive and well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe a perimeter check is in order."

He left her by the fire and she let him go. Right now his past was taunting him and once he was ready to talk to her about it, he'd tell her. Just like he knew to keep quiet until she was ready to talk to him, and so, she continued to sit wrapped in his coat and waited. When he returned, he sat beside her as before, but didn't make a move to touch her. Her lips still tingled from their latest kiss and suddenly that whole "_one-time thing_" was out the window.

_Dammit_.

"Tinker Bell and I had a chat," said Hook. "She has a plan set for getting Henry back and how to break Pan's perimeter. She'll give us the details at sunrise."

"Good," she said, quickly transitioning into the leader she was supposed to be. "Now all we need is to find a way off this damn island."

"Indeed," he said. "We'll get you and your family all back home safe and sound."

"And you?" asked Emma. "Where will you go when this is done?"

He paused in his answer before looking back at her. "Wherever the wind takes me."

And, for some reason, Emma hoped that when they returned home: the air would be still.

**END**


	3. Finding Clarity

Title: Finding Clarity

Summary: Emma and Charming bond, resulting in Emma finding an answer about who to choose…\

Rated: T (I was going to turn this into smut but for some reason I wasn't feeling it, perhaps next time?)  
Genre(s): Humor, Romance, Drama  
Pairing: Captain Swan  
Setting: POST the events that look to take place in 3x10

Dis: I don't own OUaT

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Emma was thankful to be alone in the confines of her room. Away from the townspeople that have constantly been stopping by the loft to welcome the royal family home. Away from the pressing stares of Hook and Neal that made her feel like she was indeed a princess and had two knights vying for her heart. Away from the continuous stares of her parents, always asking if she was okay, always asking if she needed something. Now, she could hear the laugher of her mother, Archie, Red, Neal, and Tinkerbell. Henry was spending time with Regina that night. The events that took place with Pan trying to retake Henry's heart and then taking over his body had shaken them all to their core but now with the demise of Pan, Emma could relax a little more… Or so she thought. Shortly after all the visits came and even now her wish for solitude refused to come true with the knock at her door.

"Come in," she said softly, the door swinging open slowly to reveal her father dressed in his signature blue jeans, gray shirt, and opened button-down blue flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Hey."

"Hey," said David, hands in his pockets, and Emma could read the hesitation in his body language. "Can I sit?"

She scooted to the side, making room for him to sit beside her. The bed dipped even more with the added weight of him and together father and daughter sat in silence while the laughter of their friends filtered into the room. She looked down at her clasped hands, taking in the ragged looking fingernails she'd bitten in Neverland. Everything else about her was perfect. Her blonde hair was curled in the way she always liked it. She wore a light blue babydoll top that went with a pair of jeans and she had opted out of her boots for the night and instead wore a pair of gold heels that had matched her earrings and bracelet. The heels had been kicked off long ago, but even her toenails looked far more exceptional than her fingernails.

Why was she so fixated on her fingernails?

"I know I haven't known you for long but I can tell when you're upset about something," he said. "What's wrong Emma?"

"I don't know," she said softly, shrugging a shoulder, picking at her nails. "I guess I'm just tired."

"Emma…" Hesitantly he reached out before covering both her hands with one of his. "Please talk to me."

"I really don't know. Maybe I'm still adjusting to being back here in Storybrooke but ever since we've gotten back I've felt like something is missing and I don't know what it is."

She pressed her lips together. She drank a couple glasses of wine. She was saying things she wouldn't normally say. Even now she was struggling to erect the walls back up. He held onto her hands while wrapping his other arm around her shoulders and she wasn't used to this affection, this attention, and when his lips brushed against the top of her head the tears she'd been fighting off filled her eyes and fell silently onto her cheeks.

"Talk to me."

"I'm so confused," she said softly. "I've never had this before. This constant stream of love and affection and I don't know how to handle it. All my life I've had nothing but pain and regret and sadness and now that happiness is within my reach I… I can't… I just can't deal with it."

"Is this about Neal?" he asked.

"Some of it," she said, reaching up to wipe underneath her eyes.

"What really happened between the two of you?"

Emma wasn't sure if it was the wine or the comforting presence of her father, which was still weird for her because they were the same age appearance wise, but she told him everything. From what she could remember in the orphanages to the constant disappointment in foster care, to running away at age seventeen. She told him the tale of the seventeen year old girl that had fallen in love and made plans for the future only to be crushed when the man of her dreams disappeared and pinned his misgivings onto her. It fast forwarded to the sudden responsibility of being a mother to finding Neal again in New York and the hurtful things he had said to her about how he'd never have given her the time of day had he known who she was. Then finally to the present, the constant fear of losing Henry even after he'd been saved to the pressure she felt about choosing a man she wasn't sure she could ever love the same way again or a man she wanted to open up to but was too scared to. By the end she was hiccupping softly, doing her best to keep the sobs at bay but it was no use, especially when he held her close and rubbed a comforting hand up and down her back.

"Emma," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

His own mind was whirling. How he wished he could go back in time and change the fate of his family. He would risk blackening his own heart to stop Regina from casting the curse. No way in hell would he ever trust Geppetto. The puppeteer had robbed Mary Margaret and Emma of time spent together and caused Emma to be cast from home to home to never know the love of a family. The puppet had caused Emma her greatest heartbreak, making her create a wall around her heart to protect herself from further letdowns. Regina, Geppetto, Pinocchio, and Neal had made his daughter's life hell and if he had any wishes he'd restart those final moments with Emma and make damn sure either he or Snow followed her to this realm.

"You will find your happy ending," he whispered. "You will find a man who always puts you first, who is willing to fight for you no matter the cost, and loves you enough to always follow you to the ends of the Earth without hesitation and-What?" Her shoulders were shaking. At first he thought she was crying some more but her shaking laughter had him relaxing. "What's so funny?"

"You _do_ know you're describing Hook, right?" she asked, pulling back from his embrace to smirk at him despite the tears falling from her eyes.

"Sonuvabitch," he muttered, running a hand down his face after thinking about it. "Be honest with me Emma do you harbor feelings for the pirate?"

"He's…" She shrugged a shoulder. "He came back. He always comes back. _He always finds me_ even when I don't want to be found. Do I love him? No, but… There's something there like… Like it could turn into more if I tried…"

Her words shook him. She uttered the same words he and Snow lived by. Always being able to find each other no matter how far away they are. He ran a hand through his hair, shaken. Had he been wrong to judge Hook so hastily? The man had offered his ship and services, had traveled to the one place he vowed to never return to due to the pain it caused, and had risked his life for a boy he didn't know. For his daughter, his Emma: and damn it if it didn't earn the pirate some points. He had to admit he'd been more… Friendly to the buccaneer and his respect for the man went up even more after they finally made it back home.

"I want what is best for you," he said. "Would I choose Hook for you? No, but then I wouldn't choose Neal either. The bastard hurt you and abandoned you in a way that makes me want to shoot him in the face. I can't tell you who to love and I can't tell you who to choose because only you know your own heart but whoever you choose I'll stand by your decision-after I threaten to hang them if they ever think about hurting you ever again."

"Hook never hurt me," she said, suddenly defending him. "He and I had a rocky start and we've both said and done things but that was before we started working together and trusting each other instead of fighting and**-oh God**!" The realization came and her face paled as she looked at her father, who had a large smile on his face. "You did that on purpose didn't you?"

Hook was the one she defended first against her father. It wasn't Neal's actions she condoned, but Hook's. Her and Hook's darkest moments in the Enchanted Forest had started because she had abandoned him on top of that beanstalk-because she had felt something when she met him for the first time and it had scared her. It scared her to the point that she left him over and over again but he always came back.

"Emma?" She looked at David, eyes wide as the realizations were sinking in. "Don't be afraid. Embrace it."

"What if I'm wrong?" she asked, her voice sounding so small.

"Trust in yourself," said David.

_'It's called trust, Darling…'_

"Because when you meet the one person you're meant to be with you'll know..."

_'Until I met you…'_

"…and when he wins your heart, he'll cherish it forever."

_'… when I win your heart, Emma, and I will win it…'_

"Hold onto the hope that you will get your happy ending."

_'__If there's one thing I've learned from you hero types is that there's always hope.'_

"I have to go," said Emma, standing up abruptly from the bed. Frantically she started searching around for another pair of shoes because there was no way in hell she was going to run to the docks in heels. She found her trusty boots and slipped them on over her jeans and grabbed her red, leather coat: slipping it on and zipping it up. Charming watched, amused as she cursed while searching for her white, wool mittens and hat that Snow had crocheted for her. He stood as she snagged her keys and headed out the door. He followed behind her then all the air was rushed out of his lungs as she plowed into his chest, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Thank you… Dad."

"Go get him," he murmured, and then she was gone. He went into the kitchen, ignoring the looks of their guests, immediately walking to Snow and wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Where is Emma going at this time of night?" she asked.

"To get the man she loves," he murmured into her hair before looking up at Neal, a new frost in his gaze. "As for you, you're the father of my grandson, which is the only thing keeping me from punching you in the face right now."

"David!" Snow turned around in his arms. "What on earth is going on?"

"Emma made her choice."

"Hook?" asked Snow, surprised.

"Yes, Hook."

"What?" asked Neal, fists clenching. "But-what-why?"

"Oh, I don't know? Think real hard about it, I'm sure you'll come up with a reason," said David, hugging Snow tighter. His voice took on a dangerous tone and he wondered if perhaps the pirate had started rubbing off on him. "I think it's about that time to settle in for the night. Thanks for stopping by everyone; we'll keep you updated on our plans to return to the Enchanted Forest."

Guests started milling out of the apartment and David held the door open for them. Snow's lips were pursed, obviously not liking to be left out of the loop, but he'd tell her everything as soon as the door was shut. Neal was the last one and David brought an arm out the halt his steps.

"She made her choice," said David. "I ask that you respect it and no vengeance is sought on your part… Or _Rumpelstiltskin's__."_

"I wouldn't… I'd never…"

"Honestly?" David moved his arm and Neal took it as a sign to get moving. "I don't believe you, which is why I'm sending out my warning now because I swear on my life if you ever try and hurt her again like you did before I will personally run you through with my sword."

The door slammed, and locked, leaving a stunned Neal on the other side wondering just how the hell things got so bad. He turned on his heel then stopped when seeing the sympathetic pixie at the end of the hall wearing modern clothes of different shades of green and brown.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets. "I'm fine."

"Neal…" She tilted her head to the side. "Remember who you're talking to."

"You're right," he said, looking down. "I messed up. Everything isn't how I planned it being and…"

"Want to go get a drink and talk about it?" asked Tink and he smiled because a beer sounded really good at the moment.

"Yeah," he said. "I'd like that."

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.

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Winter was just around the corner. Trees were losing their leaves and the night air was crisp and cool. Emma ignored her discomfort as she rushed to the Jolly Roger. As she got closer, more things started to click into place and her pace increased. She practically sprinted up the gangplank, landing heavily on the main deck. She knew where the Captain's quarters were and wasted no time in approaching them. She saw the welcoming glow of the lanterns below the door and lifted her hand to knock then hesitated. Her fear, the nasty thing, was slithering around in her stomach: clenching her insides and suddenly making her want to run. She remembered her father's words, and her thoughts from earlier, and it was like she could hear the chains holding her back shatter as she knocked. She heard him walk to the door and she held her breath as he opened it. His blue eyes widened upon seeing her.

"Emma," he said. "What brings you to my door at this late hour?"

She wanted to tell him everything. Tell him she'd been stupid and wanted to give them a chance. So many things to say and she had no idea how to say it so she reached her mitten-covered hands forward, grabbed onto the fabric of his shirt, and pulled him forward for a searing kiss. He gave a strangled moan at her onslaught, hooked arm coming around her waist to bring her closer as his hand came to her cheek. She shivered, the warmed metal of his rings soothing her suddenly flushed cheeks.

"Bloody hell, lass, what was that for?" he asked after they broke apart, panting due to lack of breathing. "Not that I'm complaining about a beautiful woman such as yourself throwing herself at me, but this is rather unexpected."

"Tell me you still want to fight for me," she whispered, two sets of blue eyes meeting, sparks igniting and making delicious warmth spread deep within the recesses of her belly.

"Always," he said seriously, walking backward, taking her with him.

"You still want me?" she asked and suddenly Hook felt breathless because her eyes were completely open to him, not a hint of the wall she'd built. "After everything?"

"Yes," he said, closing the door before pressing her against it. He leaned forward, lips grazing over her cheek, down the slope of her jaw, stopping to rest at the corner of her lips. "My beautiful Swan I've never stopped wanting to know you since the day we met."

Her hands were on him, her mittens discarded so that her fingers could tease along the opening of his shirt. The feel of her palms over his chest was amazing, and suddenly her deft fingers were undoing the remaining buttons of his shirt and he reached down with his good hand to still her movements. Her head snapped upwards, brows furrowed in confusion.

"And you? Do you want a pirate who has spent most of his days caught in the web of vengeance? I've nothing to offer you if you decide to follow your parents to the Enchanted Forest other than my ship…"

"And rum," she added, continuing to unbutton his shirt.

"Aye," he said with a chuckle. "And rum."

"I want you," she murmured. "All of you. You're more than a pirate you're a hero. The hero who helped me get my son back."

"Emma-"

"Killian…" The use of his name, his proper name, had him freezing. Suddenly everything within him coiled and his eyes darkened with desire, the transition of color taking Emma's breath away. She brought her hands up to cup his face and she swallowed thickly before licking her lips. "I want to try this whole happily ever after thing with you, Killian Jones, if that's okay with you."

"Oh, _lass_, that is more than okay," he whispered back before kissing her once more.

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.

The warmth of his body, the comforting touch of his hand up and down her back, and the layer of blankets were slowly lulling her to sleep. They had lost track of time, memorizing the taste and feel of each other's bodies well into the night. Now, finally sated, they basked in what Emma could only describe as the afterglow. She shifted around on the small bed that kept them close, head resting on the shoulder of his left arm. The hook was on the table along with its holster, something she had to encourage him to do with reassuring touches and kisses. His insecurity had quickly been forgotten when she had gotten rid of the rest of her clothes.

"That was…"

"Definitely NOT a one-time thing," he murmured, making her smile, ducking her head while her fingers traveled over the dark hair on his chest before tangling in the pendants he wore around his neck.

"Hook?"

"Given that we're laying here starkers you can use my given name," he suggested, pulling golden strands of hair over her ear with his ringed fingers. "I rather like the sound of it coming from those beautiful lips of yours."

Emma blushed. Dammit. She hadn't blushed in years and here she was, acting like this was the first time in bed with someone. She took a calming breath before continuing. "_Killian_… "

"Yes, Emma?"

"Do you think we're crazy? For trying this?" she asked. "I want to be with you but given each of our pasts and our extended family tree…"

"I will admit it is rather… Complicated, however, since the moment I met you I've felt this… Pull… It's something I don't believe I'll ever be able to ignore again. Emma… Things with Bae and the Crocodile aside I'd like to hope that even if the curse hadn't hit, I'd have found you."

"Killian…" Now her damn eyes were watering! What the hell?! "I don't know what to say to that."

"We'll take this slow, Lass," he murmured, pressing a kiss atop her head. "Well… Slow in the emotional sense, considering we've already rumped in the sheets."

Emma snorted, smacking him on the chest before settling down. For some reason the need to run hasn't hit her yet, so she was basking in the post-coital goodness that was snuggling with Hook. Her eyes closed on their own accord as his fingers returned to playing with strands of her hair.

"Sleep, Swan," he whispered.

"You, too," she murmured, fingers keeping a loose grip on the pendants.

"As you wish," he answered, making her fall asleep with a soft smile on her face.

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END


End file.
